Cue sticks are often separable into a shaft and butt for portability and storage convenience. The shaft portion includes the end of the cue stick used to strike a cue ball. The butt portion includes the handle of the cue stick. Typically a shaft is configured to mate with only one particular butt through a joint system. The butt includes an end with a pin having a particular thread configuration. The corresponding shaft is manufactured with a particular insert having an internally threaded section for detachably mating with the specific pin configuration used by the butt. Cue sticks may also be separable into shaft, intermediate, and butt end segments that are similarly mated.